November 2007 Archives
One of the highlights of the holidays for me is an ornament swap that began over 10 years ago.
Crista Burson began the swap as a brunch at her home in Forest Park. The first event was such fun guests suggested other friends who would enjoy the event the following year, and thus the ornament swap grew to over 40 attendees and a production in its own right.
When Crista and her family moved to Anchorage years later, her guests took over the swap and began taking turns hosting at other houses. Crista sent video greetings and even showed up as a surprise guest over the years, with many attendees at the swap having never before met the girl who started it all.
Read the secrets to Crista's success in creating an event that is in its 13th year...
- Customize: Choose fabrics and coordinating trims from sample books in the store
- Select ribbon for matching hair accessories or choose from a ready-made selection of bows
- Order matching or coordinating sibling outfits.
If you prefer smocking or monogramming your child’s clothing yourself but don't enjoy assembling john-johns and rompers, consider purchasing from the store's pre-made collection and adding your own special touches. They also have a wonderful layette collection that includes classic white, which is often hard to find.
Sew Precious is on Main Street in the Patton Creek shopping center next to Zoe's; reach them at 444-0005.
Give your extra stuff a second life and free your space in the bargain. Clear out your closet, basement, or toy boxes and benefit your
1. Call with your name and contact information, street address, and a general list of items you have for pick up (this assists them with allocating workers and providing your receipt). Most have a regular schedule and can let you know when they will be in your area for pick up.
2. Label your donation conspicuously so there is no confusion about what you are donating. (I have an irrational fear that someone will cart away my porch front bench and sell it for five dollars.) Bags and boxes with a label are easiest to handle, and a freestanding item, such as a high chair, should have its own label. A simple note with “SA” for Salvation Army is fine.
3. Don’t give away junk. Someone from the agency still has to sort and price or package your giveaways, and it isn’t helpful to an organization when it spends its limited resources picking up material that should have gone into trash in the first place. My personal rule of thumb is, if I wouldn’t put it in my own garage sale, I won’t put it off on these agencies.
4. Donation considerations:
*Items should be clean, especially clothes and appliances
*There is a difference between "gently worn" and "worn out"
*Cosmetic damage is acceptable as long as the item is working (ex., scratched or dented applicances)
*Furniture that needs clean up or minor repair/restoration is acceptable. Someone would love to take some polish to your old table.
*Agencies cannot accept or transport combustible items such as paint, fertilizer, charcoal briquettes, etc.
5. When you pause to consider whether to keep something, don't think about whether you might possibly use it again, but about whether someone else could more fully utilize it.
View BirminghamMom.com's list of area agencies who can use your donation:
I deeply appreciate the impact teachers have on our lives and am especially grateful for those tasked with educating my kids. The trouble is, as the holidays approach and I start to rush, I find teachers becoming more of a category on my gift list than the names of caring professionals who spend all day encouraging and interacting with children.
This year, I'm determined not to buy body lotion in bulk, but instead to rise to the challenge of giving thoughtful and practical gifts. I've asked for some suggestions from teachers and am sharing the results for other BirminghamMoms.
A dear friend of mine who is a teacher offered a valuable perspective:
"Please let me say that I cannot proceed without you and anyone else knowing that any teacher who cares would appreciate any gesture that a child or the parents make. I will say that I have had my share of trinkets - perfume that is half empty, broken ornaments, and numerous other things - but that child is absolutely thrilled to give me something. What is really pitiful is the one or two children that are sitting there while I open and they have nothing to give me. They want to have something to give, but understandably they can't do anything about it. I try to be very appreciative and yet not make too much fuss over gifts.
"As I start to type about ideas for teachers I feel somewhat silly since really there is nothing I can't get for myself. I guess this is more for the folks like myself who enjoy giving something to their child's teacher because you want them to know how much you do appreciate what they do and how they help your child."
If you have young children, you probably have every intention of having them visit Santa sometime before Christmas. You'll put on their holiday outfits, take them to the mall, and gently coax them to sit on Santa's lap before darting to the camera to capture those intimate whispers to the Big Elf.
I'll let you in on a little secret: This won't happen during December. More likely will be scarce parking, winding wait lines, and cranky kids freaked out as much by one another's Santa reactions as by their own parents' anxiety. Determine now to avoid this madness. Follow BirminghamMom.com's tips.
